The Section 194 Inquiry Committee of Parliament has granted suspended public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s request to compel her predecessor Thuli Madonsela to testify in the impeachment inquiry investigating her fitness to hold office.
The committee convened on Tuesday to examine administrative problems and plan its next steps before resuming its work on Monday.
During the discussion, the committee learned that Mkhwebane’s legal counsel, Seanego Attorneys, has requested to bring five witnesses who had previously declined to testify voluntarily.
Madonsela, who was preparing her response as to why she will not appear before the committee when the committee went on break, acting public protector Kholeka Gcaleka, DA MP Natasha Mazzone, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan, and investigator in the office of the public protector Bianca Mvuyana are among them.
The committee has determined that only the testimony of Madonsela and Mvuyana is “extremely helpful” to the investigation.
Richard Dyantyi, chairman of the committee, acknowledged, “We are of the opinion that the former public protector, professor Thuli Madonsela, must interact with the committee as we did with Mr. Tebogo Kekana [former public protector senior investigator and now whistleblower].”
“Former public protector Thuli Madonsela has agreed to comply with this subpoena.”
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